President's speech hits home with gun reform, keeping jobs in America

President's speech hits home with gun reform, keeping jobs in America

12:02 AM,
Feb. 13, 2013

From left, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. sit on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress.

Written by

David Jackson
| USA Today

President Obama outlined plans Tuesday to revive American prosperity by rebuilding "a thriving middle class," calling it the "true engine of America's economic growth" during his annual State of the Union Address.

Growing the economy and creating good middle-class jobs "must be the North Star that guides our efforts," Obama told a joint session of Congress and a national television audience.

While devoting most of his speech to jobs and the economy, Obama also announced plans to pull 34,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan over the next year, reducing the American presence by about half as ...